“No on Proposition 107: All-Comers for Presidential Primary Election“Recipe for endless political mischief. Going back to the presidential primaries we used to have is a good idea, but letting individuals from outside a political party help pick that party’s nominee is an awful idea.

“No on Proposition 108: All-Comers for All Other Primary Elections“Same reasoning as No on 107. Everyone at your house works hard getting ready for a family meal, then the government makes you give a seat at the table to the lazy neighbors from next door. Equally absurd for a political party as for a dinner party.”

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IT IS BEST NOT TO VOTE FOR ANYTHING THAT
THE GOVERNMENT WILL “HELP” PAY FOR.

The reason is boldly stated right in Proposition 107:

“BECAUSE A PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTION WOULD BE PAID FOR BY ALL TAXPAYERS, ALL ELIGIBLE VOTERS WHO WANT THEIR VOICES TO BE HEARD SHOULD BE ABLE TO VOTE IN THOSE ELECTIONS.” p. 59 in the Blue Book

This financial “help” by state government, actually facilitates government take-over of the two major parties. It takes away from each party the freedom to be the party they want to be – stops them from making their own rules — makes them an extension of the State.

“Funding for presidential primaries. Under Proposition 107, the cost of the presidential primary election will be paid by the state and counties. Counties will be responsible for administering the presidential primary election, and they will be reimbursed for a portion of these costs by the state. Currently, caucuses are conducted by and paid for by the political parties.

“Pledging of delegates. Under Proposition 107, the winner of a party’s presidential primary receives all delegates to the national convention, and the delegates are bound to support the winner at the convention.

“Impact on political party caucuses. Under Proposition 107, parties will still be allowed to hold caucuses to handle internal party business. However, parties will no longer use caucuses to determine the state party’s choice for presidential nominee.”

If Proposition 107 passes (a government take-over of the two main political parties in Colorado)

the state government will forcefully demand and forcefully finance presidential primaries for the two main parties,

the two parties will be forced to hold their presidential primaries before the end of March and election results will be binding — all delegates will be forced to be committed to whoever is elected in the March primary — it forces a 2nd primary on the parties in a presidential election year (1.- the presidential and 2.- one for other candidates if there are two candidates for one position that come out of the assemblies and conventions for an office that come out of the assemblies and conventions).

it mandates that there will be separate ballots for those who do not declare a party (each “unaffiliated voter” can choose, with their ballot in hand, if they are voting democrat or republican). This increases expense – adds 35% of all registered voters into the mix. It takes away the unique character of each party by inviting people of any persuasion to weigh in on the outcome of the party’s candidate.

an additional primary is forced on each of the two main parties (cost of ballots, and cost for people to review each signature)

mail-in-ballots will be mandated — there will be no freedom for counties to have other ways to conduct their elections.

If Proposition 108 passes (it continues the existence of two main political parties).

unaffiliated voters will be able to vote in nonpresendential primary elections in either of the two main political party primaries

the political parties can opt out of having a primary election, and instead choose candidates by assembly or convention — but only if there is a 3/4 majority vote in the party’s state central committee to opt out of having a primary election.

Proposition 107 and 108 are a state government take-over of the two main parties. Currently the parties pay for and conduct their caucuses, and choose how to handle primaries. The parties will be pushed into the background, and “allowed” to continue to choose do some token things, but the State will take over their presidential primary caucuses and most likely their other primaries, pay for them, and control how they are conducted.

“Proposition 108 gives unaffiliated voters, who are Colorado taxpayers, the opportunity to vote in publicly financed primary elections. . . 108 gives unaffiliated voters a role in selecting candidates for the general election and makes voting in primary elections easier and more accessible for these voters.”

WHENEVER THE GOVERNMENT “GIVES MONEY”
THEY ALWAYS DEMAND CONTROL
Case in point: Through Race to the Top money that was
“given” through Obama’s “Stimulus” money to the states,
the federal government took control over all public education in our country._______________________________________

Under the guise of “fairness” “I want a voice, too” “I want the parties to be more moderate (the same)” “more people should make the decisions” — we are being stripped of our freedom of association (differences between political parties) — and stripped of our freedom to have an opinion within a party that is closest to our beliefs.

Those of us who have chosen to be affiliated with one of the main political parties in this country, will also be stripped of our voices within our own party. That is what Amendments 107 and 108 do. People outside the party decide who will represent a particular political party, and the government decides when and how primaries are to be conducted, and conducts them outside the two political parties.

In his opinion piece, Mr. Laubach says both 107 and 108, are “interfering with the rights of private political parties to conduct their business.” He urges people to “participate in the process” (join a political party) — not neutralize it.

Bob Smallwood made a point that if we live outside a particular school district, or outside the state, we don’t make decisions for that school district. He then says, “So join the party and work within it.”
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Propositions 107 and 108 take away from the political party membership their individual voices in that party, and turn over party decisions to people outside the party.

Presently people in Colorado, in each of the parties, run locally in their precinct caucuses in order to attend higher level assemblies and conventions where candidates are chosen. Those party delegates who make it to the Congressional or State level assemblies and conventions, cast their votes for people they want to see on the primary ballot, and delegates they want to see represent them at the National Presidential Convention. People in the party aren’t forced to commit their national convention vote to one winner unless they choose to commit.

We have had presidential primaries in Colorado in 1992, 1996, and 2000. In those presidential primaries, the state government didn’t interfere like Proposition 107 plans to do.

Presidential Primary forced into March

Our precinct caucuses in Colorado in 2016 were March 1, 2016. The Primary Election for Colorado was June 28, 2016. Propositions 107 and 108 place the Presidential primary elections “not later than the third Tuesday in March (March 17, 2020) in the years in which a United States Presidential Election will be held.

WITH PROPOSITION 107, THE CHOICE FOR A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
WILL BE DECIDED IN COLORADO
BY THE 3RD TUESDAY IN MARCH (MARCH 17, 2020)!

It eliminates any vetting by political party members, by forcing the final decision into March. It also puts the outcome into the hands of people who will possibly decide which person will represent a party — people who have no interest in the party and who may not agree with any of the party platform.

The early decision cuts out 3 1/2 months when people in Colorado could be learning more about the people who want to run for U.S. President in their party…and it takes away time people need to study and make up their minds. A lot can happen in those 3 1/2 months. More information is good, and helps people make better choices. Proposition 106 cuts out all of that time to make a most important decision about who will represent the party.

FUNDING OF THE PRIMARIES

Proposition 107 invites all registered unaffiliated persons in the whole state to vote in the primary of whichever particular political party they choose. This adds unaffiliated ballots, which adds expense to the counties.

The state and counties will have to fund the presidential primary election, with the help of the state. In 2019-20: states would have added expenses of about $2.7 million, and counties about $2.6 million (after reimbursement from the state).

The ballot says that everyone should be able to choose

The result of the primary creates ONE VOICE (one very early voice) that cannot be changed. I protest! Winner takes all (consensus) totally eliminates the voices of the people who don’t agree, and muzzles the members of the party whose candidate has not been chosen. To have to come to such a decision that early in the year presents a false choice. That is the kind of process that is used in our school district, and other bodies that want only their ONE VOICE to be heard.

Proposition 107 will play into the hands of those who
want to control who is to be chosen presidential nominee
of each of the political parties.

Just think of the huge money interests that will take over the process — to run their hateful and lying ads — and pressure people and encourage people to mess with the parties. People who are not active in the party can be tricked into believing all kinds of lies – because they don’t have any evidence to the contrary.

The money can be heavily concentrated over a short period of time. It will just increase the corruption and hatred in politics, and take away the voice of people who invest their time and money to get to know people who want to run for office. Potential candidates will no longer have a very compelling reason to reach out to individuals in the political parties, asking them for their vote. People who are not wealthy will no longer be able to run for office in our party.

Their focus will need be on the entire state of Colorado . Now people just have to focus their early efforts on the people who have been elected from their precinct caucuses to go to the Congressional and State Assemblies. The same goes for the State and local positions. But with the mandates in Amendment 107, the focus will need to be much broader, and people who have invested so much to work in their parties will of necessity need to be practically ignored.

This takes away the voices of like-minded individuals who work in their parties
(If you want to be involved, register in a party and start helping.)

— It really is important who is chosen to run for President of the United States. Propositions 107 (presidential) and 108 (other political levels) take away my voice, and the voices of any people who want to get involved in a party with people who have generally their same philosophies.

Political parties don’t have a lot of money.

— Parties rely on contributions from their membership. If Propositions 107 and 108 pass, the Presidential Primary Election process will cost the parties money. Counties “will be responsible for administering the presidential primary election,” and they will be reimbursed for a portion of these costs by the state. The two main parties will no longer be in control of, and pay for their primaries.

— Proposition 107 takes away from the democrat and republican parties, the choice of deciding who the Colorado democrats and republicans support for president. They put it greatly into the hands of however many independents (who could be people from the opposing party or opposing beliefs). Conceivably candidates for President of the United States could be people with no resemblance to the people in the party
— those who have worked for candidates and issues in the party
— people who share generally the same political philosophies with each other
— but may not have the same political philosophies as many unaffiliated voters
— unaffiliated voters who have changed from an opposing party to register unaffiliated.

This proposition if passed, works toward dissolving the political two-party system.

It appears ripe for fraud (mail-in ballots can be tampered with, can disappear, can be sent in for dead people or people who have moved, etc.). Same day registration, no Voter IDs, mail-in-ballots, and now no need to change from unaffiliated, parties not being able to choose their candidates, all increase chances for fraudulent dishonest election results.

THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY

What is the purpose of the Presidential primary? It is to narrow down to 1 to 3 people the numbers of people supporting candidates for president at the the national party conventions. It is to send people who best represent their party in a particular state. Each party is theoretically comprised of members who have philosophies that closely align with their party, and differ from the other political parties.

Usually there is some general agreement about philosophies among people within the two main parties. Generally speaking, the two main parties have different views of the role of government. One main difference: one party is for more government to help in the lives of people — and the other is for less government, to allow people to live their lives more as they choose.

Proposition 107 is set up so that people who have not registered with a particular party, can vote for whichever primary candidate they wish. They can choose republican or democrat.

There is no need for 107 and 108 to include unaffiliated people_
In Colorado they can already register for a party the day they vote.

Sadly in Colorado, people can already register party affiliation the day they vote, even on the day of elections. Unaffiliated voters already weigh in on somebody else’s party representation. There is certainly no need to encourage it and expand it throughout the entire state by sending mail-in ballots sent to all unaffiliated voters — ballots they can use to vote in either party’s primary without changing party affiliation.

Adding unaffiliated voters to vote in a partisan primary, increases the possibilities of people outside the party picking the candidate — a candidate that people within the party would never want on the ballot.

Propositions 107 and 108 call for mail-in ballot elections.

The primary is set up to be by mail-in ballot. That is unfortunate, because of all the fraud and abuses connected with mail-in ballots.

Passing 107 and 108 mandate how political parties must run their private business — which will no longer be private, but state-controlled.